


Miserable Then Magical

by OceanofNoise



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: 5+1 Things, First Kiss, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Pittsburgh Penguins, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-13
Updated: 2014-09-13
Packaged: 2018-02-17 05:47:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2298647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OceanofNoise/pseuds/OceanofNoise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five times Sidney Crosby hated weddings (and one time he still hated weddings).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Miserable Then Magical

**Author's Note:**

> There are a few factual hand-wavey elements, including but not limited to fictional relatives/life events, Geno attending Jordan Staal's wedding (with Oksana), Brandon Sutter's wedding/honeymoon details and the title being inspired by a lyric in a Taylor Swift song (okay that one's true).

**1.**

Sidney Crosby hated weddings.

He was four years old when he attended Aunt Michelle's-his first wedding. He didn't like how the flight to New Jersey had made his ears hurt, or how his parents had made him sit still for four whole hours (except to go potty). The wedding itself was more of the same (except they made him _wait)._

He didn't understand it. He was surrounded by adults who were crying and laughing but nothing was happening to really bring forth such strong emotions. He cried when he fell on the sidewalk and skinned his knee. He laughed when he was playing outside (sometimes even on the ice). You didn't cry by just sitting around and watching things.

And these things were so, so stupid. Adults were weird. Why would they gather together to do something so boring when they could be doing something fun, like playing hockey?

 

 

**2.**

"Mom, coach announced today that registration for hockey camp begins next week." Sidney threw his sticks into the back seat and slammed the door shut. He stood there, waiting for his mother to acknowledge what he had said, preferably in the affirmative that yes, of course Sidney would be going, just like he had gone last year and the year before that. Hockey camp, Sidney could attest, was one of the brighter points of the off-season (or what most other people referred to as "summer").

Instead, she stood at the driver's side of the car, keys still poised.

"Mom?"

"Sidney, get in the car."

Startled, he promptly did as told. He waited nervously as his mother started the car and backed out of the parking spot, saying nothing.

It wasn't until they were on the road when she finally began, quietly "You know that your Uncle Ryan is getting married."

Sure, he knew that. He didn't know what this had to do with hockey camp.

"His wedding is on the nineteenth of August. In Calgary."

Wait. "Hockey camp is from August sixth to August twentieth."

"Yes," his mother replied after a beat.

Sidney shrugged. "I guess this means that I can't go to Uncle Ryan's wedding." He tried not to sound too eager over the prospect. He hated weddings after all. And to miss it because of hockey camp made it all the sweeter.

"Sidney, you are going to Uncle Ryan's wedding with me, your father and Taylor."

He turned to his mother, aghast. "You mean you want me to miss the end of hockey camp to go to a stupid wedding?"

"Sidney, honey, I'm sorry but you won't be going to hockey camp this summer."

He processed this news with the same severity as he would have had his mother told him that Uncle Ryan had passed away. That was to say, with alarming calmness at first before the realization hit. "What? I... what?!"

"Your dad and I have talked about this and we think that it's important for you to have more non-hockey related experiences to make you more well-rounded."

"Non-hockey related experiences? Like a stupid wedding? Are you fucking kidding me?!"

His mother turned to him with the stern look he recognized as a mixture of contempt and disapproval, a look she reserved for his (infrequent) temper tantrums. Sidney shrunk in his seat but refused to apologize for his choice of words. "But I've been to weddings mom! And I already experienced them enough to know that they're boring and that I hate them!"

"Sidney Patrick Crosby. You are going to Uncle Ryan's wedding and you are going to behave yourself. Do I make myself clear?"

"But mom-!"

"There's no discussion here. You are going with us and that's final."

It wasn't fair. It was fucking fair. Hot, angry tears began to rim his waterline. He crossed his arms over his chest and refused to look at his mother. He hated her for doing this to him.

A moment passed before his mother (who he wasn't listening to because he hated her) spoke, gently. "Now that Taylor's a little older it'll be nice to go on family trips and form some memories together. We've never been to Calgary before so we'll have a lot of fun, I promise."

"Nothing is more fun than hockey camp," Sidney snapped vehemently despite the lump in his throat.

His mother sighed. "Honey, you should be happy that you still have the chance to go on trips with your family. You're already so busy, with school and hockey. You'll have even more obligations when you get older. Believe me when I say this Sidney: you'll regret not spending more time with your little sister when you're older."

No he wouldn't. He saw her plenty, more than he got to play hockey. Sisters were stupid. Parents were stupid. Uncles were stupid. And weddings were the stupidest of all.

 

 

**3.**

Being an adult, people (well, his teammates) had always told him, meant making your own choices and not having to do things that you didn't want to do.

He had been lied to all his life. Otherwise, he wouldn't be sitting in a pew of a church in Halifax listening to the reverend wax this and that about a man's love for a woman and vice versa. His cousin Julia looked borderline pretty that day, although he thought she could have done better with her choice of life partner. Their kids were probably going to be myopic and definitely asthmatic. The husband-to-be looked like he had some sort of eczema between his eyes that he ought to get checked out.

God, Sidney was on edge. He couldn't wait to get out of there.

Attending weddings was bad enough. Having his relatives ask when it would be _his_ turn to have a wedding was even worse. His aunts and uncles flocked to him faster than to the bride and groom, saying how proud they were of him, how much fun they had bragging to their friends about their first-round draft pick nephew, how big and handsome he looked and oh by the way did he have a girlfriend? Girls must have waited in line just for a chance to date him.

Sidney did not have a girlfriend, nor did he want one. Apparently what he wanted did not come with big, fancy wedding receptions or a nuclear family like so many people expected. No, Sidney was always told that he was no average player and would lead no average life. He would never walk down the aisle and stand at the altar, awaiting a beautiful bride in a long white gown.

"Any lady you choose will be the luckiest lady in the world, with that face and ass of yours," his Aunt Abby gushed after one too many glasses of white wine.

The smile froze on Sidney's face, agonized with the knowledge that it would never come to be, no matter how much he wished that it was something that he could come to want, no matter how many times he had prayed at night hoping to wake up the next morning with a new set of desires. How he was different from other people would most definitely lead to a difficult and dangerous life. Each wedding he attended was a reminder of this disquieting reality.

 

 

**4.**

Jordan Staal's nuptials felt like the closest thing to a celebrity wedding that Sidney had ever attended. It was one of the most elaborate, even in the dead of a Thunder Bay summer.

Most of his teammates had made the trip to Middle-of-Nowhere, Ontario, including some from across the pond. Sidney's excitement when Geno RSVPed Jordan in the affirmative was because it validated their team's cohesiveness and the significance his alternate captain took in his role. Nothing more.

The ceremony was actually kind of sweet. There was a lot of talk about hockey and personal sacrifices. Sidney could relate for once.

Of course fortune would have it that everything had to go downhill from there.

First came the seating arrangements. The Staals had naturally grouped the NHL players together. That was thoughtful of them, he supposed. Sidney had been given a plus one, which he'd turned down. A few of the single guys had done the same. Even some of their married teammates' wives hadn't made the trip.

Then why the hell was Oksana here? If she hated Pittsburgh then she most definitely would despise Thunder Bay. He'd smiled politely to her but hadn't attempted conversation. She barely understood English anyway so what was the point?

Then came the trade announcement. Sidney was no expert on manners but he'd think that a professional agent would have the social decorum to at the very least wait until dinner was served before giving his client this life-changing news. The eyes of the wedding party shifted quickly from Paul to Jordan to Sidney, as if anticipating a fantastic show of emotion from the otherwise demure captain. Jordan had told him, in confidence, that he was unlikely to return to Pittsburgh. So this news wasn't unforeseen. Naturally it was made official at the man's own wedding. If that wasn't confirmation enough that weddings were the bringers of all evil.

It was difficult to make light of the issue but they all did their best, for Jordan's and Heather's sake. Sidney knew that his role as captain extended beyond the NHL season. Still, he couldn't be coaxed onto the dance floor no matter how much they pleaded (then subsequently how many ass jokes were made in a failed attempt at reverse psychology).

He retook his seat after a round of handshakes just as all the couples came in close for a ballad song. His table was right by the dance floor so he basically couldn't not look.

It was a disgusting display in front of him. Scandalously close, hips swaying together with the music, hands resting just above the line of decency. There were probably people taking pictures which could end up for public consumption. How could Geno be so irresponsible?

They looked so happy, so fucking in love with the way their eyes locked, in the way they held one another. She was tiny compared to him, so much in fact that they actually looked ridiculous together. And people said Sidney was short. He was a perfectly acceptable height, even for his line of work. Geno was only four inches taller and already considered tall. What was the big fucking deal?!

Okay so he did still have to look up when he addressed Geno while they stood side-by-side. It didn't make him feel small. He liked those moments, private in their own ways despite the team and coaching staff all around them. He liked to draw out those dimples with a laugh (intentional or not), he liked the way Geno's forehead would wrinkle in concentration, he liked the strong physical presence near him, although never really feeling near enough-

Sidney stood up abruptly, deciding impulsively that he needed to be anywhere but there. He bolted out of the room, past the front doors and the group of guests enjoying a smoke near the entrance steps until he reached the end of the parking lot. He wanted nothing more but to keep walking, out of Thunder Bay, all the way to Pittsburgh where he had Geno all to himself.

Now that was truly a ridiculous notion. With a huff, he turned back rejoin the wedding party, to the table where he would sit alone, surrounded by happy teammates and the partners they adored. Having a whole ceremony to rub your relationship into other people's faces was bad enough. Having to watch other people flaunt their happiness so shamelessly at the same time made weddings even worse. It just wasn't fucking fair.

 

 

**5.**

Another off-season, another teammate wedding-this time Brandon Sutter's. It was conveniently scheduled in Pittsburgh just a week before training camp. Giselle even agreed to limit the honeymoon to a couple of days in San Francisco. Theirs was a marriage that would stand the test of time.

To set the record straight (so to speak), Sidney had no problems with marriages. Marriages were great. They were much more of a testament of true love than a wedding was. And yes, it was nice that he could get married if he wanted. Even if it meant having to go through the whole wedding ordeal. He'd be willing to do all that and more, for the right man.

"Sid!"

At this point Sidney's chest was conditioned to contract suddenly at the sight of Geno's dopey smile.

Geno jogged up to where he'd been leaning over a small bridge, watching a pair of ducks wadding in the bubbling brook below. The ceremony wasn't for another half hour so Sidney was taking the opportunity to explore the venue. He was surprised to see Geno, who habitually was late for almost everything (to his quiet frustration), in attendance so early.

They embraced, maybe longer than was acceptable between two teammates, but if Geno wasn't letting go then neither was Sidney.

"Missed you," Geno murmured, his breath tickling the short hairs at the back of Sidney's neck. If Geno was saying it then Sidney could say it back and pretend it didn't mean more to him than it did.

Geno rested him arms on the bridge's hand rail as Sidney had done before, watching same ducks dip in and out of the water. "Have good summer, Sid?"

"Yeah." He'd done quite a bit of travelling (some of them for weddings unfortunately), trained with the O'Brien crew and generally enjoyed himself. "You looked like you had quite the off-season yourself." With a new girlfriend, Sidney did not add bitterly. He had followed Geno's summer via Instagram a little more thoroughly than he would ever admit to anyone.

"Was... good, yes," he said with a non-committal shrug.

That wasn't the response Sidney had anticipated. He couldn't not prod further.

"Summer was fun, but miss hockey, miss Pittsburgh, miss you," Geno validated this by reaching over and brushing his knuckles over Sidney's.

The casual way Geno bequeathed affection was going to be Sidney's undoing. He had to change the subject to direct attention away from the rising blush in his cheeks. "You must miss your new girlfriend more than you miss me."

It was meant to be an altruistic jest (at the expense of Sidney's own heart), not a gateway for Geno to deliver an unexpected confession. "She not my girlfriend anymore. Anna is nice person, but..." He paused and looked determinedly at the same two ducks, waddling back to land after triumphantly gobbling down whatever it was they had been digging for through the brook bed. "Is not right for me. This summer I learn about myself. What I want. What I need. I need person who like hockey, who understand this job. Need someone to be here, in Pittsburgh, with me."

Sidney scoffed and was about to add that Geno would be hard pressed to find a woman who would fulfill all those attributes and that as a professional athlete playing outside his home continent there were some unachievable things that he would have to come to terms with. But before Sidney could deliver this diatribe Geno continued speaking. "There is someone just like this, and I think..."

Geno paused to bite his lip. His eyes had never strayed from those two ducks, back in the water together. Sidney had never seen him behave this way before, loquacious and anxious all at once. "I hope, maybe, he like me too."

Of course Geno had someone he'd been courting in Pittsburgh. Sidney thought back to those moments in the locker room when Geno'd sauntered in looking looser than usual or the infrequent times when Sidney'd been coerced to the club with the guys which of the women Geno'd been eyeing-

Wait.

"He?" Sidney blurted, disbelief overshadowing genuine concern or jealousy. "It's a guy? Who?"

He didn't understand the strange look in Geno's eyes, now turned to him, until he felt the graze of Geno's fingertips pressing into the gaps between Sidney's fingers until their hands were linked. Geno brought them to his own chest and watched Sidney as if waiting for a response.

There was no way Sidney could be reading the situation (or Geno) wrong. His own racing heartbeat matched the feel of Geno's against his palm. After all these years of wondering about what would never be here it was presented to him without warning. He had no idea how'd this come to be or what they would have in store for the future but one thing Sidney did know was what he wanted right at that moment.

"Geno," he felt deliriously out of breath. "Kiss me."

Like a captain's order, Geno obediently dipped his head and caught Sidney's mouth with his own.

It was sweet and chaste and left Sidney wanting more. Geno was smiling at him like he'd scored the game-winning goal but at the same time pulling away. The juxtaposition was baffling.

Sidney grabbed Geno by the arm and pulled them in close once more. "Geno, kiss me again." Because it had worked the first time.

"Can't now," said Geno with that same unbreakable smile, which was ridiculous because they'd just kissed a second ago so if Geno was being a tease then Sidney wasn't falling for it.

"Sid, what you doing?" Geno forcibly stepped away, the expression on his face now completely serious. "We can't kiss now, at someone's wedding. Is rude!"

"What?" was Sidney's dazed reply because seriously? They'd already kissed (Geno kissed him! Geno kissed him!) and throughout his career as a wedding guest he'd never been told that kissing somebody at somebody else's wedding was some sort of faux pas.

"Bad enough we already kiss once here, hopefully no one else see," Geno's head darted around surroundings as if he was honest to God scanning to confirm that they'd actually been alone and hadn't committed some sort of wedding felony.

He wasn't sure if it was a Russian thing, or just a Geno thing, but he could now see himself spending years finding out.

Sidney must have looked somewhat dismayed because Geno's expression softened and he ran his fingertips around the outline of Sidney's chin before tilting it up with his thumb. "Sid, after wedding we kiss again. Kiss you many times." The growl in his voice conveyed to Sidney a pledge that he would hold Geno to, hell or high water.

Fuck, he couldn't wait until this wedding was over.

 

 

**+1.**

Contrary to popular belief, Sidney Crosby was not to ice like fish to water. He could survive perfectly fine without a proper hockey practice for a couple of weeks. If faced with a choice he wouldn't deprive himself but Geno's pleading that they take a vacation together away from prying eyes was too good to pass up.

He didn't think Athens had a single ice rink to its name. He was perfectly fine with that (at least for one or two weeks). In fact, he was enjoying himself so much that hockey was almost an afterthought.

Geno, on the other hand, seemed a little tense. He couldn't blame him. After years of debating the logistics of adopting a child together they'd finally hammered down the details. There were certain legal issues that came with two non-Americans wanting to reside in America that they were yet to figure out but two things they had agreed on was that they wanted to start a family together and they wanted to do it in Pittsburgh.

The process, however, wasn't so simple. Especially for Geno, who had the misfortune of holding a citizenship from a nation that wasn't on the best terms with his desired country of residence.

Scuba diving the previous day had left them sorer than either of them cared to admit. Sidney had to accept that their aging bodies factored in as well. Despite their best efforts, they could not outduel Father Time. Geno'd had enough knee surgeries to seriously consider calling it a career at age 35.

After a day spent exploring the shopping district near their hotel and generally doing nothing of import Geno suggested they stretch out their muscles after dinner with a quiet hike at dusk.

"Are you enjoying yourself here?" was the first thing Sidney blurted after they'd settled on a bench together. Geno's arm around him was a nice comfort but did nothing to quell the nagging guilt in the back of his mind. "If not then we can always leave early-"

"What you talking about Sid? Like it here. Greece beautiful. Here with beautiful boyfriend, what more can ask?"

Sidney hated when Geno described him in those terms (most of the time, anyway), although he was reassured, slightly. Sidney sighed and let his head rest against Geno's shoulder. "You just seem a little... stressed out? I can't tell if you're having a good time or not. Or maybe there are other things bothering you."

"I think about other things, yes. Important things." Sidney felt the arm around him tighten and his own stomach accordingly do the same. They'd promised each other that they wouldn't talk about these issues on vacation but if Geno felt the need then Sidney wouldn't hold it against him.

"It's okay Geno. If it takes time, then it'll take time. I don't care how long we have to wait. If worst comes to worst and we're never granted adoption then we can have a family of dogs, cats, whatever. We'll figure something out."

He felt Geno let out a shaky breath as much as he heard it before he withdrew his arm and stood up. For a panicked moment Sidney thought he'd said something wrong but then Geno turned to face him and tugged Sidney's hand forward so that they were both standing.

"Can't be sad about something I never have," Geno began. Sidney's expression must have conveyed enough surprise and terror because Geno continued quickly. "Sid-no-I-" Oh God Geno was shaking. "I mean, if I never have then not lose anything. But you, if lose you I not know what I will do. Never ever want to lose you."

"I'm right here," Sidney pointed out. What on earth was Geno getting on about?

He still didn't get it until Geno let go again (to his utter confusion) and knelt down on one knee in front of him. Even then his brain sluggishly worked to catch up as Geno pulled out a small velvet box from his pocket.

"Oh my God," was all he could say as Geno opened the lid to reveal a very beautiful (albeit gaudy and dare he say it feminine) diamond engagement ring.

"I promise Sid, if you say yes I not ask you to wear this but grandmother say I have to use, but Sid. Sid."

"Geno, God. Geno," Sidney wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or cry.

"Sidney Patrick Crosby, will you marry me?"

He wasn't ashamed to say that he was doing a bit of both as he shouted "Yes" over and over again until Geno kissed him over and over again, and even a passing jogger could not dissuade Sidney from his strong public display of emotion.

It was after dark when they'd both composed themselves enough to make the trek back down the mountain.

"Oh shit," Sidney realized suddenly.

"What Sid? What is it?" Geno came to a stop alongside Sidney.

"This means we have to plan a wedding."

Geno laughed at Sidney's grimace. "Come on Sid, weddings not so bad."

"They are the worst," he said unrepentantly.

"Wedding with me much better, I swear," said Geno with a sly grin. He grabbed Sidney's hand and tugged him onwards.

Sidney held Geno to those words, through to their wedding day and beyond.


End file.
